Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul
by Maximus Draconis
Summary: In a world ruled by dragons, humans have it rough. But as an adventurer tries to find a purpose, he will uncover something lost through the ages that will change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1: The Desert Market

** Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

** Chapter I: The Desert Market**

_Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud._ The hoofs walked along the desert floor at an average pace. The tracks stretched on for miles behind. It was hot, dry, and humid. The worst you could get. But somehow, two creatures had made it this far in the desert. Sweat rolled down the hide of the horse. Even though the other creature was not walking, rather sitting on the horse, sweat rolled down his face. He took some cloth and wiped his forehead. He noticed that his tongue was out from thirst. Grabbing his water bag, he drank the last of the few drops.

"I hope we're close. Didn't come all this way for nothing." Putting the empty bag back, he grabbed his stashed map from his back and rolled it out in front of him. The sun was at its zenith in the sky, beating the merciless heat upon the sand. It indicated midday. "And there is that."

Looking in front of him, he saw the objects he was looking for: two large columns of rock. "Don't worry, we should be there in a little while," he said as he patted his horse.  
The streams of hot air blasted at his face, but up ahead he could see the outlining of a small mountain of rock and below it, unnatural structures. As he got closer, he could spot the figures of humans running about. He knew he had arrived at his destination.

The desert-town of Sans was built in and around a mountain made entirely of rock. It was only one of three towns in the continent's largest desert, and the only one with a river to sustain itself. Even though it was a desert-town, this place was known for its trade. All kinds of shops spanned across the base of one side of the mountain. These shops were mostly shabby, made of crude sandstone, but had some intriguing items.

The traveler rode up to the front and went to a well that was for people who were entering. He took a handful and gulped it down; then he tied his horse under a cover that was used for horses. The traveler walked through, looking at some children who were running and playing along the sand. Multiple voices were shouting out for "trade, a trade!" Still peering at all the shops, he glanced to his left to see an old man sitting down, with a hood on covering his head and some of his face, so as you could not see his eyes. He had a long and thick grey beard that reached to his belly. _It's just another poor man,_ the traveler thought, and was about to look elsewhere when the old man spoke out in a loud voice:

"Would you like my mask? Would you like my mirror? You can look at yourself; you can look at each other, or you can look at the face of your god!"*

The traveler was taken aback. Was this man crazy? Did the heat get him? He walked up in front of the old man. "So are you selling a mask or a mirror, you say, old man?" The other still kept his head down but produced from his cloak the most wonderful mirror the traveler had ever seen. The man held it out for the traveler to hold. The mirror was lighter than he expected since it was a large one; it seemed to be trimmed with gold, and the glass was crystal clear. It was very mesmerizing like he was being pulled…

Someone ran past him. He snapped to attention and noticed that the people were gathering to something that was happening close by. He gave the mirror back to the old man, putting it into his lap, and went along with the crowd to see what all the commotion was about./p

"You think you can challenge me? I'm gonna do whatever I want, and you think this will stop me?"

"Well you know the rules here, and that is not allowed. You will have to face the consequence. You've been causing enough trouble, Eisen."

The traveler worked his way through the thickening crowd. What he found was something he had seen before. There was a large stone circle, about three men's length in diameter, and in it were two men. One was a tall, muscular looking fellow, and the other was slightly shorter, with cloth wrapped around his left hand, and looked twice the other's age. They both raised their hands into fighting positions.

"of course she would run to you. I just knew it. Running away like the weakling she is." The muscular one said. The traveler looked to see a man in lavish clothes with a woman, whose hair was a wreck, and she looked like she was breathing heavily. Looking back at the match, he saw the big man take a massive swing, easily avoided by the smaller.

"I'm going for the smaller one." Someone said next to him. The traveler noticed that people were pulling out their gold or whatever their trade currency was for bets. Back to the fight, the muscular one, Eisen, was getting frustrated: since every time he would attack, the other would simply avoid it and step out of the way.

"Why aren't you attacking me, you feeble old man? This is what you wanted right?" And he lunged with his arms outstretched for a tackle. But as he went at full speed, bearing down on the other man, just as he was about to get him, the other suddenly whipped out his left hand and hit the bigger man with a powerful uppercut; then stabbed him in the sternum. Eisen fell back, staggering, coughing blood onto the ground. The older man walked forward. "And this is your sentence." He brought down his elbow to smash the head.

The big man collapsed onto the ground. He was alive but barely breathing. There was a loud cheering (but there were also a few groans, for those who had lost their bets) and then the people dispersed back to where they were as if nothing had happened. But the traveler stood there and looked at the winner, who went over to the rich-looking man and the raggedy woman next to him. He said a few words and disappeared into the cave. As the traveler walked over to the pair, the woman also left and went into the market. He walked up to the man.

"It was quite a fight, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was. Do you need anything?" The man inquired.

"I'm wondering, who is the man who won the match?"

"You don't know?" tho other responded with a laugh. "You must not be from around here then. I'm the owner of Sans, by the way. My name is Heller." They both shook hands.

"Nice to meet you. Could I perhaps met the winner myself?"

"Why, you have come to the right place! I can personally escort you to him! But first, we have to get out of this blasted heat."

As they walked toward the cave, Heller asked: "So what is your business here, may I ask?"

"Oh, frankly nothing, to tell you the truth. This is just the last stop before I reach Aeneas."

The cave was massive; it was so large it could fit at least fifty dragons. They ascended a wide staircase that winded itself to the top.

"There are multiple levels that lead to rooms, where everyone lives. I mean, who would want to live out in the desert? Here, the higher your level is, the richer it means you are. And the man you're looking for, his room is on the 8th level of 10. It's probably the nicest one though."

And after a while of climbing, they finally reached the room. And in it, was a man sitting on a chair.

"Come in, I've been expecting you for quite a while, Fidius."

* * *

*From the song _Marrakesh Night Market, _by Loreena McKennitt


	2. Chapter 2: To the Unknown Man

**Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

**Chapter II: To the Unknown Man**

The question immediately came to his mind. But before he asked it, he noticed the things that had now surrounded him. There were ordinary things out of place in a place like this; flowers were carefully cultivated in a corner for one thing. But the rest of the things in the room were plain weird. There were multiple drawings on paper; one had a drawing of a needle with fire coming out of one end; a cage with wheels; but one huge drawing on the wall stood out. It was the most detailed map of the continent Fidius had seen, drawn from end to end. Even the mysterious forest had been drawn out on it. There were, however, a few things uniquely different about it. Strange symbols were scattered across it and on the left, and there seemed to be another jagged line that seemed to suggest... another continent?!

"I see you are looking at the map." The older man broke his concentration. Fidius turned to see him sitting down next to the table, intently staring at it. This, too, was a peculiar thing. On it was a pattern of 64 black and white squares, and on top of those, were 32 pieces. It looked like a game. "This", the other said, grabbing a piece, "is a game in its beginning stages. Do you know what this is?"

"No." He shrugged.

"Well, it is a complicated game called chess. Your father was a good player. It is a shame he did not pass it on to you."

"Hold on. How do you know my father? I have never seen you before."

"No, you have not. But then again, your father was famous. What exactly did he tell you of adventures?"

"Adventures? He never told me much of what he did. So you knew each other well, then?"

"I could tell you, but not now." The man said as he looked up at Fidius.

"So what is", he gestured around the room, "all of this stuff?"

"Back in my day, I was a part of the Fortune Hunters, and so was your father. It was a group that consisted of around 100 people, and we were among the best. The goal was to find the rarest and most valuable things on this continent. As you know, however, these things are only available in dragon hoards, so only the most daring of humans are Fortune Hunters. We had to trek across all of Phyrria to get different kinds of treasure. Normally, any outsider of the Huntsmen would assume these hoards are all gold and jewels. While that is true, we had found that they had something much more, such as the various things you see here", he gestured to his room.

Fidius had looked at all of it, but another thing caught his eye: it was an ornately decorated wooden box, but with golden legs. Long and rectangular, it looked to have something important hidden in it. "What's in here?" he asked, picking it up.

"Here." the other took it and produced a rusted golden key from his pocket. The handle had 5 rings and the other end was double-sided. It was inserted into the keyhole of the box, which opened to reveal a scroll. He pulled it out and unraveled it.

"This is the scroll that many call the Dragon's Secret. Found by one of the first of the Fortune Huntsmen in the Ice Kingdom, encased in ice. It's anyone's guess on to how old it is. This is unique, a one of a kind, the only one we know that exists. And I will read it for you. It is a mix of Old Language and dragon, so I will try my best."

"You know dragon?" Fidius cried.

"Shh!

_To the Unknown Man,  
You are now seeking the most precious of dragon gems.  
Forged in the soul, you collect the Five Treasures of the Kingdoms.  
You traverse across the waterless sea, through the Pit of Vipers, to the crown of cactus.  
Trudging on through, the mire is bleak, except for a lively tree.  
The next is of the solid sea, where the bones of the dead monster lie forever.  
After you make the path of the elect to the palace of air,  
Enter the ingress of endless enigma and peril.  
The sixth is the deepest hole of impossibility.  
Another is an eruption of death.  
You will find yourself then, to take the wind of changes,  
And to go into the edge.  
The final piece, a miracle of the Unknown."_

He stopped and put the scroll back into the box.

"That doesn't make any sense whatsoever," Fidius replied, obviously puzzled.

"That is why it is called a riddle. This riddle points directly to a specific kind of object: an animus object."

"What is an animus object?"

"An object with unlimited magical properties. Each one is different in its powers. We don't know if the dragons made them, or some other unknown being did, but one thing for sure is that they are extremely hard to find. I know the existence of two: the Lifesource Stone, here in Sans, and the Truth Dagger, in an eastern city somewhere."

"So you know where this animus object is then? How do you know that someone else hasn't taken it?"

The other shook his head. "I will warn you: I have sent 76 men on this quest. All failed and died, I heard, in trying to obtain the first item, by the clutches of the desert dragons. Those poor souls..." he stared off into the vast desert outside the room. There was silence. "Well, are you interested or not?"

Fidius just stared and thought hard. First, this was a lot of information. Second, he didn't know if he could trust this man or not. And third, he didn't even know his name. "Alright. If I decide to believe you, can I ever know to trust you? And what is your name, by the way?"

"First, you won't be able to trust me, and second, my name is Moore." He got up from his seat and they shook hands.

"So, may I ask you about my father..." But he was interrupted by a woman at the entrance. "Excuse me, but the Lord of Sans has requested both your presence at his feast, which will be held in the upper hall." And just like that, she was gone.

"Save it for later, I suppose. But come on. This feast is going to be special." Moore walked out. Fidius just sighed and followed him to the great feast of Heller.


	3. Chapter 3: A Feast and A Dream

**Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

**Chapter III: A Feast and a Dream**

The hall of Heller was long and wide, with a high, arched ceiling. But what the real attraction was a table as long as the hall itself, with benches running on both sides. And on the table, were the most delicious foods that Fidius had ever seen. There were foods of all kinds: meats, fruits, vegetables, and also all kinds of drinks as well. Most of the food he had never seen before.

The hall was beginning to be filled with people, of all ages. There seemed to just as many people as there was food (and there was a lot of it). Fidius followed Moore through the hall, looking at all the food, salivating it with his eyes. _Ohh, this is a feast, _he thought. They went to the head of the table, where the Lord of Sans sat in his magnificent chair. He was dressed in cloth of gold and velvet, with his long fur coat behind him. And around his neck was the golden chain of a lord. There were two empty spots next to the lord, one on each side. Moore sat on his left, and Fidius took the right.

"Ahh, my guests have arrived!" Heller's face gave a huge smile as he stood up to greet them both. "Welcome to my annual feast! Delighted to have you again, Moore!"

"My pleasure", he replied.

"And our course our other guest! I completely forgot to ask of your name the first time we met!" Heller laughed.

"Fidius, sir." He smiled back.

"Ah, wonderful! Well, we'll be starting in a minute." And Heller left to talk to one of the servers.

"This is by far the largest display of food I have seen, ever," Fidius commented, wide-eyed.

"When Heller wants a feast, he gets a feast," Moore replied with a chuckle.

Heller returned to his chair and clapped a few times for everyone to be quiet. People hushed and those who were in their seats stood up.

"We are gathered here today," the Lord of Sans began, "to celebrate the fruitfulness of this year, and to many a more of the same. Today were are especially celebrating the 100th anniversary of this great town, and the people who live here." He gestured for everyone to sit down; he took his seat as well and grabbed a pig leg. After he had finished eating it, he said, "Let the feast begin!" and a loud cheer erupted through the hall as people started digging in and resuming their talk. Fidius smiled at the happiness in which these people displayed, and took some food to eat. He gobbled it down, not having experienced such delicious grub as this before in his life. Sure, he had tried some other things in the past, but those were bare crumbs compared to this.

After a while of eating, Fidius noticed that he was finally full. But as he looked across to the other side of the table where Moore sat, he noticed that Moore had eaten very little. He was just sitting there with his head down, appearing to be in deep thought. All of a sudden his head jerked up, leaned next to Heller to whisper something, whose eyes got big, "Really?", and Heller got up to clap his hands for everyone's attention.

"I have an announcement to make. One of our dear friends is going to leave us here soon. Please stand up, Moore." There were murmurs around the room as Moore got up from his seat. "I have to say there has been almost no other greater man to this city than Moore. He came..."_ Finally, some backstory on him, _Fidius thought, "and met me around 20 years ago. I was a young, uninspired man, full of promise, but didn't know how to get there. But Moore showed up and pointed me in the right direction, and later has helped point this town in the right direction." Heller lifted his glass shouting, "So here's to good fortune in the future for Moore and this town which he helped raise!" Everyone else roared back, "To Moore's good fortune! To Sans good fortune!" as they all raised their glasses as well.

"Do you have anything to say, Moore?" Heller asked.

"Yes." He replied. "I want to thank this little town for everything it has done for me, and for the people who are the best kind of people I have met. And thank you for mostly keeping quiet when I am working." There was a laugh that went throughout the room. "So here is a toast to Sans and it's good health!"

"To Sans and it's good health!" The crowd echoed back.

As the people started to leave, five people came up to the lord.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Four children jumped on him, and he roared with surprise and laughter.

"Honey, it was delicious." The woman kissed Heller. "And thank you, Moore, for all you have done." He nodded in response, decided to excuse himself, and went out.

"So this must be your family," Fidius said to Heller. He couldn't help but smile.

"Yes, it is. My wife and four children. Children, this is our guest, Fidius."

"What a funny name you have, sir." One of the children said. He looked around seven years old.

"Don't be rude, Thomas." The wife scolded her son. "Hello, it's nice to meet you. Where do you come from?" She shook hands with him and smiled.

"The small village of Yellow Rust, ma'am."

"Oh! I know where that was! One of my cousins lived there. Too bad on what happened there." Fidius didn't want to question that further (seeing that she was a chatty kind of person) and instead turned to Heller to ask: "So do you know where Moore is going?"

"Hah! If anyone should know, it would be you, since he said you were going with him. To where he did not disclose but did mention it was going to be 'his last adventure.'" _Why would Moore say that I was going with him, and what "adventure" is he talking about? _Fidius asked himself. Then his earlier conversation with him came to mind. _So why would he also assume I would accept his offer? _"Thank you, Heller." He noticed that the night was drawing near. "May I ask if I could spend the night here?" he pleaded.

"Yes, of course! Let me show you to a room, please." They both walked out of the hall and to a room which, thankfully, had a bed in it. "Here you are. Oh, and here are your things from your horse, if you're wondering if they have gotten stolen by now." Heller handed a surprised Fidius his things.

"Wonderful! Thank you very much again!" he stumbled to respond.

"So, where are you two going, may I ask?" Heller asked on a more serious note.

"Well, he did show me a riddle for a certain treasure. He asked me to try and obtain this 'impossible treasure', as I am an amateur treasure robber. So I guess he is going with me if I accept it. And apparently, he has sent many on this mission, and none have succeeded even remotely close. Do you suggest I should take up this offer?"

"Oh yes, that one. Well, all I can say is that it is probably worth the risk if many have failed this, plus, if you get Moore himself on this quest, one of the greatest Fortune Hunters, to go along with you, I would at least try before you get yourself killed. But be wary of Moore himself: even though I have been with him for twenty years, there's just something...odd about him. His walk, for instance, isn't right. He might have a natural injury, but it doesn't seem right. Alright now, good night!" And he left before Fidius could respond.

He went over to the window, where the sun had already sunk low, but a tinkle of fear went down his spine. He quickly looked away and settled down to sleep.

He dreamed that night of the one nightmare that plagued him. A village was on fire, being burned to ruins by a desert dragon. A man runs up to the dragon and disappears into the flames. And a mother holding a baby as she and her older child ride away on a horse, as far away as it could carry them. But that older child on the horse was familiar. The older child was himself.

* * *

**APSN**

**What does the dream mean? Is it just a dream, or reality?**

**Thank you for those who are reading and being patient with this. Sorry if these chapters are coming out slowly, but it will be completed!**


	4. Chapter 4: Out of the Frying Pan

**Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

**Chapter IV: Out of the Frying Pan (And Into the Fire)**

Fidius got up early in the morning, as the sun peeked just over the horizon. Quickly grabbing all his things, he left the room and headed down the large stone stairway. Almost everyone was still asleep as far as he could tell, except for the few vendors and farmers who wanted to get a head start on the day. Thankfully, they ignored him as he silently went by, hoping not to disturb anyone. His horse was waiting for him in the stables. He went and grabbed the reigns, put his things on the horse's back, and looked back at Sans. _This is a great little town, but I have to go before I put anyone in danger. _He hoped he wasn't being rude for leaving without saying anything, but it must be done before it was too late. Sighing, he turned to get on his horse but found Moore directly in front of his face.

"Ahh!" he jumped, yelling in surprise.

"Quiet down! You'll wake the whole town!" Moore turned away to get on his horse (which had also appeared out of nowhere). "Well, are you ready to go?"

Fidius was still shocked but managed to stammer a response, as he suddenly felt angry. "How did you...never mind. How dare you think I would go with you on this, this quest of yours when you've told me others have died for this? And just because you know my father, and my name, does not mean you know _me._ I hardly even know you! So tell me, _Mr. Moore_, why I should go with you?"

"Because you want to go, no matter what you say to yourself," he replied with a slight smile and started to ride away.

It was true, he did want to go and somehow the idea of it was dragging him to go along. But he still had his doubts. As he stood there deciding, Heller came running up to him.

"Are you leaving without saying goodbye?" he said, almost out of breath.

"Oh, sorry about that. I just didn't... want to wake everyone else up."

"That would be alright! Well then, so you're going to go on the quest then?"

"What? No! I..." A pause. "...am still deciding."

"You're going, I know. Moore is never wong."

"That sounds kind of creepy," Fidius said. He had to make up his mind right now. "So what was your warning about Moore again?"

"He is a little off, you could say. It's the way he walks, the way he talks. And he, as I said before, is never, _ever_, wrong. It might be eerie, I agree, but Moore is one of the best men I have ever met. And if anyone can help you find what's missing in your soul, and have you survive across the continent, it's him."

"Find my soul?" Fidius asked, confused.

"I can see it in you. You are a man that needs finding, purpose. That purpose may be treasure hunting, to be sure. But you will be changed after this. Moore may help you."

"Thanks." He shook hands with the other and got on his horse.

"So go and follow the future!" Heller cried out as Fidius went to join Moore.

"Ah, so glad you are joining me! I just knew you would come!" Moore said happily.

"Reluctantly," Fidius replied with a grumble.

They trekked across the desert until it was midday. Fidius then realized he had forgotten something important. "Poop! I had forgotten to fill up with water," he said as he looked at his empty water bag as they rode along.

"Here. I have plenty. " Moore handed him one of his water caskets. He drank and splashed some on his face. This was the hottest place on the continent, as far as he could say, but he was used to it, being born and raised in the desert. He peered over at Moore's horse. "That is quite a lot of stuff you've got there. How is your horse carrying all that?"

"He is one of the more well-rounded breeds. It can carry a lot of weight. And I have to take advantage of that," he said, slapping his horse. They carried along until the night was setting in again. "We'll camp here," Moore said as they stopped under a rocky alcove that jutted out from the sand floor. Unpacking their things and tying the horses, they sat down to eat. There had been silence (if there is a silence in eating) for a while, but Fidius' curiosity could not be kept hidden any longer. He started with the question: "Where do you come from?" Moore stopped eating.

"Not a lot of people are privy to this information. But since this is going to be my last adventure," he wiped his hands and mouth, "I will reveal things about me along the way."

"How do you know that we won't die on this quest? I won't know anything when I'm dead!"

Moore ignored this remark and continued. "I told you about your father already, so that's enough until we get the first piece."

"That's not fair! You never told me this before, and you should have told me before we left!"

"Life's not fair, but that is a fair point. So you want to know where I came from? The south of the desert, on the border."

"Isn't that the mysterious territory where nobody goes?" Fidius asked, now _really _intrigued.

"Yes."

"So what exactly is this 'mysterious territory' like?"

"Oh, it's mysterious for a reason. I was born there, and then everybody left it. When I was older, I tried to go back twice, but both times I had to escape quickly. There is a bewildering air there like something is saying: 'don't come here!' It will give you the chills, I can tell you that."

"What do you think is there?"

Well, I think a tragedy happened there, possibly something by the dragons. But most people say it is the Highwayman."

"The Highwayman?"

"Never heard of the legend?" Fidius shook his head.

"Whether it's true or not, it is a fascinating tale that was woven thousands of years ago.

_The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees._

_The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas._

_The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,_

_And the highwayman came riding—_

_Riding—riding—_

_The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door._

_He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,_

_A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin._

_They fitted with never a wrinkle. His boots were up to the thigh._

_And he rode with a jeweled twinkle,_

_His pistol butts a-twinkle,_

_His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky._

_Over the cobbles, he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard._

_He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred._

_He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there_

_But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,_

_Bess, the landlord's daughter,_

_Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair._

_And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked_

_Where Tim the ostler listened. His face was white and peaked._

_His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like moldy hay,_

_But he loved the landlord's daughter,_

_The landlord's red-lipped daughter._

_Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—_

_"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,_

_But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;_

_Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,_

_Then look for me by moonlight,_

_Watch for me by moonlight,_

_I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."_

_He rose upright in the stirrups. He scarce could reach her hand,_

_But she loosened her hair in the casement. His face burnt like a brand_

_As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;_

_And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,_

_(O, sweet black waves in the moonlight!)_

_Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight and galloped away to the west._

_He did not come in the dawning. He did not come at noon;_

_And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon,_

_When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,_

_A red-coat troop came marching—_

_Marching—marching—_

_King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door._

_They said no word to the landlord. They drank his ale instead._

_But they gagged his daughter, and bound her, to the foot of her narrow bed._

_Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!_

_There was death at every window;_

_And hell at one dark window;_

_For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride._

_They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest._

_They had bound a musket beside her, with the muzzle beneath her breast!_

_"Now, keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the doomed man say—_

_Look for me by moonlight;_

_Watch for me by moonlight;_

_I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!_

_She twisted her hands behind her, but all the knots held good!_

_She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!_

_They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years_

_Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,_

_Cold, on the stroke of midnight,_

_The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!_

_The tip of one finger touched it. She strove no more for the rest._

_Up, she stood up to attention, with the muzzle beneath her breast._

_She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;_

_For the road lay bare in the moonlight;_

_Blank and bare in the moonlight;_

_And the blood of her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love's refrain._

_Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;_

_Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?_

_Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,_

_The highwayman came riding—_

_Riding—riding—_

_The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight, and still._

_Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night!_

_Nearer he came and nearer. Her face was like a light._

_Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,_

_Then her finger moved in the moonlight,_

_Her musket shattered the moonlight,_

_Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him—with her death._

_He turned. He spurred to the west; he did not know who stood_

_Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her blood!_

_Not till the dawn, he heard it, and his face grew grey to hear_

_How Bess, the landlord's daughter,_

_The landlord's black-eyed daughter,_

_Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there._

_Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,_

_With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high._

_Blood-red were his spurs in the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat;_

_When they shot him down on the highway,_

_Down like a dog on the highway,_

_And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat._

_And still, of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,  
_

_When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,  
_

_When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,  
_

_A highwayman comes riding—  
_

_ Riding—riding—  
_

_A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.  
_

_Over the cobbles, he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard.  
_

_He taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred.  
_

_He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there  
_

_But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,  
_

_ Bess, the landlord's daughter,  
_

_Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair."*_

Fidius just wondered even more as he listened to it. He hadn't heard anything so beautiful in so long. And it was also quite sad. "That was breathtaking. But there were a couple of things I don't understand."

Fidius chuckled. "Even I don't know what all of it means. The story is very old, so I guess it's secrets are lost in time. But that's enough for now." Moore settled down and fell asleep. But Fidius was still awake: waiting, waiting for it to come, to devour him come. He knew what it was, and it was not the Highwayman.

They woke up early in the morning and resumed their journey. "So how long is it going to be until we reach our first destination?" Fidius asked, after a few hours.

"We should be there in a little bit," Moore responded as they kept moving. _Well, that didn't sound very reassuring_. As half the day went by, they stopped as large dune rose above them.

"Let's leave the horses here and climb this dune," Moore stated.

"Why are we going to climb this particular one?" Fidius had to question.

Moore started to scale it already. "Because I said so," he responded without looking back. Fidius just had to wonder why he did anything at all, but he just had to do what he was told. He got off his horse and started ascending it as well. Moore was waiting for him at the top and a look of anguish immediately came over his face.

"Oh, no! No, no, no, NO!" Fidius exclaimed as soon as he saw what it was.

"Do you want treasure or not?" Moore asked him.

"With THAT!? No way! Is there a different path, or something? Something smaller, at least?"

"No, This is it. Either you quit now and be a mere commoner, who never took a step in his life, or be great by trying to accomplish something which no one has finished? You knew the risks. This is the point of no return, may I remind you." And it was, Fidius realized. _This is the decision of my life._

"Let's hurry up and get this done with."

"That's the spirit!" Moore exclaimed.

Below them were buildings of different sizes, some low to the ground, and others rising above the desert. But surrounding those structures were dragons, with mean looks and talons that gleamed in this bright sunlight, large enough to easily rip a human in half. Fidius was scared and for good reason. They were about to set foot in one of the places humans never ventured near. They were entering the Terrifying Viper Pit of Dragons.

* * *

*_The Highwayman_, by Alfred Noyes


	5. Chapter 5: The Terrifying Viper Pit

**Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

**Chapter V: The Terrifying Viper Pit (Of Dragons)**

Fidius know knew why no one would ever get the first piece. The Terrifying Viper Pit of Dragons splayed below him with all of its sheer danger. It was known as the Terrifying Viper Pit of Dragons because it was full of two kinds of vipers, both terrifying: normal ones, that were as large as a man; and the large ones, known as the only species superior to man, dragons. Fidius had to question his impulses or any of his life choices for that matter. Oh, why couldn't he have listened to his mother!

"You're already white," Moore looked at him. "Scared out of your wits already? We haven't even gotten in there yet."

"It doesn't scare you in the slightest?" Fidius looked back at him with an anxious face.

"Have you ever met, or even seen a dragon for that matter?"

"Yes, but only one. And it was terrifying." He shuddered at the idea.

"Well, you will meet two kinds of dragons: one kind will toy with you, and then slowly tear you apart and eat you. And then there is the second kind which will take pity on you and will ignore you for the most part."

A dragon taking pity? That seemed impossible. Dragons were always looking to kill a human, at least that's what Fidius thought.

"Let's go." Moore slid down the dune that led into the pit. Fidius had to stop thinking and muster all the manliness he could to follow suit. As they were sliding down, he kept on looking up at the sky to the dragons flying overhead and was just anticipating for one of them to spot him and come down to eat him. But none of them did as he came to a screeching halt at the bottom of the dune, where a building was.

"Quick. Get up," Moore said as he peeked around the corner of the building that they had butted up against. Fidius looked up again and noticed that the structure was taller than any man-made one. It was the same for the others as well, as even the shortest ones were tall as hills it seemed. He nudged Moore.

"Is it clear?"

"Not in the slightest."

"Look, doesn't this seem impossible now that we're down here?"

"Not impossible, improbable," Moore replied without looking at him.

Fidius turned away and knew he couldn't get back up the way they came down. They were trapped; and all he could do was tho go the way that they had come down from. He slowly slid across the side of the building to the other end and glanced past the corner, expecting some hulking dragon waiting to pounce. Instead, he saw two tiny desert dragonets, playing with some kind of toy. He stared at them, as they were playing some sort of game of tag with it. They were almost...cute. Dragons, cute? How could he think that? _Wait until they grow up to be killers_, he told himself. Big senseless monsters who kill humans for fun. That was true, especially after what he had seen. But how could have they built all these organized structures if they were senseless killers? Moore interrupted his perturbed thoughts.

"Is there anything over there?"

"Just a couple of dragonets," Fidius replied.

Moore looked back, whispering: "Well, that's better than on this side." He came over to Fidius and looked around his corner. Staring at the dragonets, he moved around the edge toward them, while remaining close to the wall.

"What are you doing? They could cry for the adults!" Fidius fearfully exclaimed as loud as he dared. Moore did not seem to hear him as he kept moving along, getting closer and closer to the playing dragonets. They didn't notice him he went silently past and jumped into a basket. After the lid closed, it opened a second later and a finger motioned forward. Fidius gulped and felt a wave of nausea hit him. He started sweating as he inched his way across the wall. He didn't know whether it was the desert heat down here or the fear that made him sweat. Probably both. _Come on, it's just two dragonets._ But gradually, he made his way to another basket beside the one Moore was in. However, just as he made his way in, and closing the lid, one of the dragonets looked in his direction. The lid closed. His heart was beating so fast he could hear it. He tried to look through openings in the basket, but he could perceive them making noises as they seemed to get closer. This was getting bad. Loud, huge wingbeats were heard. He caught his breath as he felt the basket being taken into the air. He moved around as the altitude climbed, being tossed this way and that. Yet still, nothing could be seen out of the cell he was trapped in. Now, this was a case for nausea, as he started feeling light-headed. After a while of more rocking, they descended and the basket was dropped to the floor. Fidius tried not to ake a sound as he was hit with pain on his side for the rough landing, as he had just had the ride of his life. You couldn't get that much excitement on a horse. The other one was heard being put on the floor, but nothing was discerned from Moore. His lid was opened and Moore's face appeared.

"I think your face just turned four different colors there."

"That...was...the worst...expirience...ever." Fidius put a hand to his forehead and struggled out to grabbed Moore's hand. He looked at his surroundings. "Where are we?" he asked, still a little woozy.

"We're in a dragons' house, I believe."

Fidius still couldn't possibly imagine this. "What's next? Dragons building palaces?"

Moore just chuckled and walked across the massive room over to a nearby window.

"Great. Now we're stuck in a dragon's house, so we'll just wait here for that dragon to come back with its little monsters to have us for dinner." Fidius groaned as he went over to Moore.

"You can see the whole pit from here", the other replied cooly. Looking out, the view was truly magnificent. In a way, it looked slightly less terrifying from inside. From what Fidius could see, the dragons here had a living, breathing society. Dragons were flying from this place to that as if they had important things to do. It seemed so, as some were moving stones to construct a building; others were bartering, selling, trading, everything that humans did a society. Was he that blind? Were dragons just a rational as humans? It had seemed impossible before, but now it was probable. Fidius' world was flipped upside down. However, there was no time to contemplate that right now, as they needed to get out and find the first piece.

"So do you know where the first piece is?" Fidius asked.

"Not exactly, but I do know we have to follow the signs."

"What signs?"

"There are certain symbols around this pit that are very old. So we must go to the older part of the city."

Fidius was afraid to ask: "And where is this older part? We're in it right now, I hope?"

"On the opposite side."

Fidius' jaw dropped. "I knew it. Okay, you are taking this too far. We just managed to sneak by two baby dragons. Now you want us to trek this entire pit to find some clues? Those clues might bring us back here, we don't know. And we're still trapped here." He threw his hands up in defeat.

"Think smarter, not harder." Moore went away from the window and, grabbing a leg of the massive table in the room, climbed up it to the top. "Come up here. I have an idea."

The other followed his example, though with more difficulty (he wondered how such an older looking man got around so quick), and when he reached the summit, on the table was a candle and a pouch of some kind.

"I think some kind of thing is in it," Moore said as he went inside of it. "Ahh! A scorpion! Ahh!"

_Oh, no, is Moore dead? _ Fidiius froze in terror. But Moore came out, unharmed. And burst out laughing.

"Oh, haha! I got you so bad! You were as white as a sheet!" He had to recover from laughing. "I haven't had a good laugh in a while. Anyway, there are only a few coins in there. We should go in there." Fidius was still slightly scared.

"And tell me why we - _I_ should go in there?"

"Just don't ask, or you'll get yourself killed." They both went in. True to his word, there were only a few draconic coins in there.

"Do you think we can take these?"

"No," Moore said sternly. "We need these to get to where we need to go."

"Um...how?"

"I suspect the owner of this pouch needs water."

"Water? I haven't seen any water anywhere near here."

"Oh, there is water here alright. At the other end of the pit, there is a water fountain. And I know that these dragons have to pay for it. Which is lucky for us, because that is also our destination."

Just as he finished, a pair of large wingbeats were heard.

"Whatever you do, be quiet, no matter what happens!" Moore whispered as he hid under a few coins. Fidius did the same. There was a rumble of a dragon and then the pouch was lifted. He again felt the same sickness as in the basket. He comforted himself in the fact that he couldn't see the ground and tried to keep the thought of how high up he was away. It was a short ride, and they slowly started to come down. The dragon who was carrying them had landed in an area that sounded like there were a lot more dragons around. There seemed to be a lot of grunting and roaring, and it sounded worse than a council of old men (the dragons were talking to each other, Fidius had to wonder). All of a sudden, they were flying through the air again and landed with an _oof_ somewhere else.

"What happened?" But again he got interrupted as they were thrown again and landed on something hard.

"I think we're on the table that they pay for the water. I'm going to look out." Moving to the front, Moore carefully peeked out. "Oh, I see the fountain." Fidius came next to him. And there was the fountain, which had dragons lined up for a while.

"Do you see anything that could be a clue? I don't see," Fidius tried to look around as best he could, "anything out of the ordinary right now."

"Me either..." Moore stopped before he was going to say anything else. "Oh, that is sneaky."

"You see something?"

"Look at the stones that the fountain is made of." Examining them, nothing at first seemed out of place. But upon further inspection, one stone was different. While the rest were blank, this one, located near the top had a symbol on it.

"Yeah. One has a symbol on it. Looks like...the up sign?" Fidius pointed up. Does that mean we have to pick up the stone above it?"

"No," Moore said gravely, "I know it's not that easy. What I think it's telling us is to go into the fountain."


	6. Chapter 6: The First Piece

**Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

**Chapter VI: The First Piece**

"Go in?" Fidius had already decided that anything they did was going to be a suicide mission anyway, so he wasn't surprised.

"Yes, We're going to have to do a full-on sprint to get there."

"But how do we know that the sign is for us finding the piece and not just a dragon sign?"

"Because there is no sign like that that the dragons know."

"Do you know the dragon language?" Fidius felt like he had asked the question before.

"Alright, are you ready?" Moore asked, completely avoiding the question.

"Right now?"

"Yes. It's now or never."

Fidius shook his head up and down.

"Good." Moore licked his lips and jumped up into a full-on sprint (and Fidius didn't know old men could run _that_ fast) out of the bag. Just as Fidius was doing the same thing, he noticed the dragons had stopped what they were doing and were staring at the two humans. Obviously. The dragons were frozen as they kept on running to the fountain. Then in one large roar, all of them tried to lunge for the pathetic humans.

"Run like the blazes!" Moore cried as they both went at full sprint, but the dragons were closing fast. They both vaulted into the fountain (it was more like a well, Fidius realized) without hesitation. He was falling, the air ripping around him. He flailed his arms until he hit the water hard. Suddenly he was being pulled against his will by the current into which he had just fallen, taking him to who knows where. As he was trying to breathe for air, the river kept on bringing him down under. His vision started to blackout. Then a hand grabbed hold of his wrist and pulled him from the death trap, landing to feel the jaggedness of wet rock. Coughing, sputtering, he managed to breathe. Water came out of his nose and ears. It took him a moment to recover from the heart-pounding experience. Wiping his eyes, he looked around. He found himself in a cavern, with the river he almost drowned in that went right down the middle. To his right, the tunnel seemed to run infinitely. To his left was...Moore! Fidius jumped a bit. Moore was just sitting there calmly as if nothing crazy had happened. Fidius couldn't say anything, so he sat down next to him. The river roaring was a new sound to Fidius, who found it strangely peaceful, despite what he had just been through. Sure, he had lived near a stream where he grew up, but nothing as loud or big as this. But after a while of saying nothing and staring at a river, Fidius asked nonchalantly: "So, should we go find the first piece then?"

"Yes," Moore replied immediately. The problem, Fidus then realized, was which way to go.

"It looks equally long on both ends. So what way do you say?"

"There should be a sign here to guide us, like the one on the well." Getting up, they both started examining the cavern. But Moore was quick to find something. He went over to the spot where Fidius had been sitting. "Look here," he said using his fingers to remove some moss that was on the rock. Fidius came over. Never would he have thought that he would be under a dragon city looking for some thousand-year-old symbols. It was still quite hard to imagine.

"Do you see anything?" Moore asked. Fidius stepped back to examine what Moore had uncovered. He had to laugh.

"It's a sign that says to go right."

Moore came over to where the other was. "That makes sense. The right is the direction of the middle of the den. Oh, and I was not expecting that." The sign was a simple arrow etched into the rock.

"It was very hard to figure out," Fidius said in a serious tone.

"Well, I guess you're right." Moore chuckled.

"That was corny." Fidius couldn't help chuckling himself.

"I know."

So they took on the right path. They walked on for hours. Fidius had no clue how much longer they had to walk, or how they would be able to reach the surface once they found the piece. Normally, he would've been scared and frightened, but not anymore. He was just glad he could die in this cavern instead of in a dragon's clutches. His stomach began to rumble. They hadn't eaten anything since this morning. _Let's hope we can find some frogs. _But Fidius knew there wasn't anything down here but moss.

"Can we stop, please? I don't know if I can go on." He stopped as he was clutching his stomach. "Why didn't we bring any food?" Fidius started complaining and was starting to get a little angry as well.

Moore simply replied, "I didn't think about it."

"Well, you might not eat at all, but at least I AM HUMAN! I have to eat!" He sighed and leaned against the wall. Suddenly, it started moving in, and it was too quick for Fidius and he fell through to the other side. Thankfully, he landed on some ground, but it still hurt. _What was that?_ Stumbling back up, he saw Moore staring at him from the entryway. "A false section of wall. And...here's the symbol above the entrance we missed." That was all he had to say.

Fidius shook his head. "I don't think I'm hungry anymore." He turned around to face the area he had just uncovered. It was pitch black, and he couldn't make heads or tails if anything was in there, or how large it was.

"I think I see a light at the end, but it looked far away," Moore said as he also tried to peer through the darkness. Fidius had to strain his eyes to try and see the light that Moore was trying to talk about. And sure enough, there was teensy, tiny light at the end. "Do you think this is it?" Fidus turned to back Moore.

"It has to be. But be careful. We don't know what's in there." Moore entered, so Fidius went forward. Somehow he could feel the wall were close, and so the ceiling. It was smaller than the cavern adjoining it. Water was on the floor as it dripped from the ceiling as the two men slushed their way through it. The water was cold, but underground it was a pleasant getaway from the desert heat above. The place was cool and damp; and Fidius thought it would be a perfect place to live in the desert. All you had to do was add a little lighting. The light was getting lager. When they reached the end, a spherical-shaped cavern met them. And what didi their eyes behold? The entire place was covered in gold.

"All the gold you could ever want. Just laying here." Fidius whispered. Moore had done it. he had led him here, to the promised land. His eyes reflected the glint of the gold. Staring at it all, he almost felt...obsessive. Jumping down, he ran to the nearest pile. "Hahaha!" he exclaimed in pure joy as he rolled in it. "I just want to stay here...forever." It was beautiful. But Moore stood there frowning. "What are you frowning at, Moore? That I'm taking your treasure?"

"Do you know why you're here?" Moore asked sternly, but Fidius gave him a dumb look.

"Yeah, I'm here for the treasure. And hey, I found it, didn't I?"

"This is not the real treasure. The problem with you is that you can't see past your nose. Try to look at the middle of the room." The other got up to perceive what Moore was talking about. He could see the fire. A large one. There were torches around this place, but this one as really bright. Walking toward it, there was something weird going on. Fidius couldn't quite put a finger on it, but the fire...was so mesmerizing. Whey they had gotten close enough, he found a bizarre scene.

There was an elevated platform, with seven steps leading up to it. The platform itself was a heptagon, with a pedestal at each corner housing a burning fire. In the center was a stone dragon, about a man's height. And resting its paws, as they were held out, was a magnificent gem. Fidius wasn't quite sure if he could grab it. "What if it's a trap?"

"I don't think so," Moore said as he looked around. Slowly approaching, looking at the dragon's face, hands trembling, he touched the gem and gradually slid it into his hand. He waited for something to happen. Silence. Nothing happened. Yet.

"Whew!" They both breathed a sigh a relief. Fidius looked at it closer. The orange-colored gem was the size of his hand, and it was slightly heavy. But it was big.

"This is a beautiful masterpiece." He paused. "So is this an animus thingy?"

"No, not by itself," Moore smiled. "It has to be with the others for it to activate its power."

Fidius realized that had almost completely forgotten about the riddle. "That riddle then, is to find more of these?" There was a hint of fear in his voice.

"Correct."

"How many more did it say we had to find?"

"Six more, I believe."

Fidius was staggered. _Six more?!_ It was impossible to imagine. But having the first piece in his hand, and Moore beside him, gave his confidence. The confidence to find all of them, to find the Dragon's Secret. He looked over to Moore who smiled at him.

"Are you ready to get out of here, or what?"

* * *

**APSN**

**I just had over 1000 views on this, so thank you for all who have had the patience to keep on reading this. It does mean a lot!**


	7. Chapter 7: Twins in Trouble

**Wings of Fire: Shattered Soul**

**Chapter VII: Twins in Trouble**

The cave, still dimly lit despite the torches, was filled to the brim with gold. It also contained two humans who were trying to find a way out. To be sure, this was all the gold Fidius dreamed of, but Moore said no, only get the giant gem. Fidius didn't know what the problem with the gold was, but a real one was searching for a passage out of this place.

"Well, I didn't see anywhere else to go but back the way we came."

"That's a good idea," Moore said as he started walking toward the entrance, Fidius was walking down the steps when suddenly a large rock rolled out of nowhere to block the gateway. The ceiling shook above and the large dragon statue, that had previously held the gem, was starting to find into the ground as the pedestal floor opened up. Fidius could only stare in puzzlement as the statue sank into the ground and the platform floor closed up.

Looking back over to the now-closed entrance, he questioned: "Now what? Is this the trap?"

Moore was still facing the rolled stone. "I don't think it's over."

A moment passed. A few _clicks! _were heard. They both turned around to see where the sound was coming from. To Fidius' relief, it wasn't a dragon. The sounds were coming from the large columns; they each had a trapdoor that was flung open, and out of those came water.

"So we're going to die by drowning? This is better than I originally anticipated." Fidius mentioned sarcastically. Moore started running to the pedestal.

"The trap was a little late, I know. But I don't think that's water." The sound of water running was getting louder. Through the thin light, Fidius could see the ground was starting to get covered in water, or whatever Moore thought it was.

"It looks like water to me."

Moore just shook his head. "No. Look at the gold." Fidius tried squinting at the shine of the gold in the "water". He could see the "water" level was rising. But a curious thing happened. The gold coins were...disappearing. How was this possible? Fidius wanted to blame it on the dim lighting.

"That's not water: that's acid," Moore grunted. Now he was noticing the liquid: it was starting to turn from clear to a toxic-looking yellow, as bubbles rose to the surface and a sizzling sound accompanied it. Fidius started to shake. The situation was worse. He was afraid to admit it, but it seemed now this was a worse fate than dragons. The level of the acid was rising even quicker. Was this truly the end? No. It couldn't be. He was part of a story, after all. And right on cue, another rumbling happened as a walkway rose out of the acid that went from the pedestal they were on to a new...passageway? _Where had that been the entire time?! _

There's a new exit that opened up. Let's go before we're sizzled into nothing." It was hard to argue against that logic. Fidius followed Moore as they ran down the walkway. The acid level was getting even higher, as it was still pouring out of the columns. It had almost risen as tall as the walkway. But they managed to reach the end, only to find stairs that slowly led up.

"Hurry!" Moore exclaimed as Fidius peered back. He knew he had to hurry because the acid now was on the walkway. He turned around and making sure the gem was still in his hand, ran up the stairs as quickly as he could. They seemed to run for a while. The light at the end (why did it have to be another tunnel?) seemed just as far away as before as if they had done no progress whatsoever.

"Moore, this seems infinite! Again!"

"Well, we can't stop!"

"Why not?"

"Because the acid still coming!"

Fidius gave a questioned look and stopped to look back. As far as he could tell, nothing was behind him. Until...a sound was heard. The gentle hush of acid climbing the stairs. Oh, shards! And now he could see it. Wonderful. He scampered back to Moore, who was far ahead.

"I told you," Moore said as Fidius had caught up. Too bad all that gold had to go to waste. He would have loved some of it. But he had the one thing that mattered, the first piece to the greatest treasure of them all (apparently). They finally arrived at the light, the top. The radiance of the sun hit his eyes. Blinking, he could see they had emerged toward the top of the den and were on a ledge that outlooked the place. Behind him, the path they had just run up had close by itself, leaving no trace that there had been a path that led down to treasure. Below him, however, were dragons. Due to the hight and the dragons, Fidius felt a heart attack coming on.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Moore asked. Fidius, terrified, said yes. "There's a path that leads out over here. Come on."

Fidius couldn't believe the dragons couldn't see them, being so high up. The path was going up as they slowly moved along the edge. the distance between the wall and the edge wasn't very far.

The end was in their sights now! He couldn't believe his luck. He was going to escape this place alive. But of course, Moore dashed his hopes. He curiously went on his hands and knees to go to the edge of the path. He looked down, and Fidius presumed he was looking for dragons that could be watching them. He knew it was stupid (why he followed what Moore did, he didn't know) but he copied him. But lo and behold, two cages were dangling from beneath the path. In those two cages were two humans. _What are those two doing in cages, here of all places?_ He thought Moore said there were no people here. Then the answer hit him.

"What happened?" Moore asked them.

"We were going on our jolly way," the right one said, "when a dragon found us."

"It captured us, it did." The left one continued. "And brought us to this hell-hole, and put us in these cages..."

"No, he already had two cages, which he put us in, then took us to the hell-hole..."

"No, took us here then cages..."

"Where were you going?" Moore interrupted.

"Oh, we were ah...what was the town again?" The right one asked the other.

"I know it's a desert town..." the left one responded.

"Sans?" Moore hinted.

"Yeah!" both prisoners said in enlightenment.

"Were you the twin messengers who were supposed to come to Sans two days ago?"

"Yeah, well, we got, uh, tangled up." The left one responded.

"Two days ago." the right one added.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Moore asked them.

"Getting out of here? Why would...hey, now there's a thought!"

"Yeah!"

"Get us out!" they both shouted at once.

"Alright, alright! Don't shout or you'll make the dragons notice. I'll be there in a sec." Moore chuckled.

"How are you going to free them?" Fidius asked.

"Watch and learn, my boy."

To the absolute amazement of Fidius, Moore, still on his hands and knees, got down and climbed upside down the chain on the right one! Fidius was getting dizzy just looking at Moore then looking to see how high they were up. A fall meant certain death. But Moore appeared unfazed as he lockpicked the cage (still upside down!) and opened it. _He must have nerves of steel, that man. And muscles. How is he still upside down? _It was a great feat. _A great rock climber perhaps?_ Fidius looked down farther into the dragon den below_. _All the dragons kept on going mot looking up even once. As Moore went to free the left one, Fidius noticed something strange. One particular desert dragon was moving his head, this way and that, smelling it seemed, looking for something. Moore had just finished, so Fidius was about to go when he saw a glint on that dragon's wrist. A blue bracelet. Fidius quickly turned away and put his hand over his mouth. That was him. It was the dragon.

"Fidius, are you okay?" Moore asked, concerned.

Fidius got up to nod his head. "Let's go," is all he had to say.

The four of them went up the path to the main desert floor, where they went to hide behind a large dune. Just in case.

"Well, thank you for saving us."

"No problem," Moore said as they shook hands.

"You know Sans. Are you going there?" The right one asked. Fidius realized that they were identical twins.

"Oh, no, unfortunately. We're going in the opposite direction. Why were you two going to Sans?"

"Oh, we have to deliver a message to Lord Heller." The left one said.

"Well, good luck then!"

"Oh and Moore, who is your friend here?"

"Ah, yes." Moore patted Fidius on the back. "This is Fidius, son of Uriel. Fidius, these are the twin messengers, Kubrick and Kubiak."

"Son of Uriel? An honor!" they said they shook hands as well.

"How did you survive those dragons? And in those cages?" Fidius asked.

"Oh, it was nothing," the right one, Kubrick, said.

"Yeah, we were given some food by the dragons," Kubiak added.

"To fatten us up."

"But I hate plants."

"And I hate meat."

"But we survived because we're easterners!" Fidius now knew why he couldn't place their accents.

"The toughest people on the continent!"

"There were others, but they weren't so lucky..."

"Poor bastards got toyed with and eaten..."

"What is the message?" Moore switched the topic.

"It's about this new 'Indestructible City' they've been talking about, somewhere east. They want Lord Heller's help." And they started their farewells to leave.

"Alright, well goodbye! And don't get caught!" Moore said his farewell.

"Don't worry, we won't!" The twins responded as the walked the way Moore and Fidius had come. Suddenly a large roar was heard from the den closeby.

"Well, it looks like they just found out what's missing."

"Do you think they will be okay?" Fidius asked.

"Yes." But in the distance, they saw the twins panicking and began to run and shout.

"Maybe not. But let's continue, shall we?" Moore turned to the setting sun.

* * *

**APSN**

**Yes, we look toward the horizon for answers. But those answers may not come until late October, so stay tuned.**


End file.
